Veitch: Jumper family remembers Voss

Mike McMahon — Digital First Media Barn 85 on Fifth Avenue has a different look and feel without legendary trainer Tom Voss’ stable of horses. Voss passed away this past winter. Today’s New York Turf Writer’s Steeplechase will be held in his honor.

Tom Voss, the outstanding horseman who died this past winter at his home in Maryland, will be on the minds of the racing community with Thursday’s running of the New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase.

The Grade 1 event at 2 3/8 miles will be run in his memory.

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Worth $150,000, the Turf Writers is the centerpiece of the steeplechase schedule at Saratoga Race Course.

Voss was a popular fixture at the Spa, winning races such as the Turf Writers and A.P. Smithwick over jumps, and the Sword Dancer on the flat.

He was stabled at Barn 85 on Fifth Avenue.

“I really miss Tom Voss, particularly here at Saratoga,” said Bill Gallo Jr., the Director of Racing for the National Steeplechase Association. “I have very fond memories of him right here at Barn 85. It’s been difficult coming up here this year, turning the corner and looking down that row. I had a good working relationship with him over a long period of time. He didn’t say much, yet spoke volumes as a person. He was a delight to work with, and to work for.”

Voss shared Barn 85 for many years with his friend and rival trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

Sheppard, a member of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, came to the United States from Ashwell, England.

“We miss him not only as a major player in the game, but I’ve known him since I first came to this country,” said Sheppard. “With adjoining stalls here, we used to kid each other quite a little bit. As you know, he had an understated sense of humor and would look down at the ground and mumble, so you’d have to be pretty sharp to catch what he was saying. I used to tease him because there were only 23 stalls on our side of the barn, and he always had 12 and I had 11. I used to give him a hard time about it and finally, they gave me one around on the other side so I had my 12 as well.”

Voss was stabled at the north end of Barn 85, while Sheppard was on the south end.

“He was a great competitor and his horses always were prepared and looked good,” continued Sheppard. “They were always fit and he did a good job. It was very obvious he loved his horses. He would spend extra time with them, with a curry comb or something else, long after people had left. Maybe give them extra bits of alfalfa or clover. So you could see there was definitely a warmer side to Tom than a casual observer might notice”

As usual, Sheppard will be a major player in the Turf Writers, having won it 14 times including last year with Italian Wedding, who returns today after finishing sixth in the Smithwick at this meet on July 31.

He is coupled in the betting with Barnstorming, who was a distant ninth in the Smithwick, but who has a good Saratoga record including a win in last year’s Walsh Novice.

Voss’s daughter Elizabeth scored her first win since taking over the stable in the Smithwick at this meeting.

She saddled Makari to win by a nose over Demonstrative, while in receipt of 12 pounds from that rival.

Both are in the Turf Writers, and the weight spread is much smaller, with Demonstrative carrying 154 pounds and Makari 150 pounds.

The entry of Charminster and For Non Stop, trained by Cyril Murphy, are in the Turf Writers off good efforts.

Charminster was second in an optional claimer on July 30, while For Non Stop was a good third in the Grade 1 Iroquois on May 10.